Sources Say Oliver Was In On Ouster

THE SPORTS COLUMN

Hollywood's champion of conspiracies would be right at home on the so-called ``loveliest village on the plain,'' wherep it appears the No.1 sport has become back-stabbing.

At least that's the portrait hammered into crisp focus by information from a wide assortment of those with inside knowledge of Terry Bowden's recent ouster/resignation as head coach of the Auburn Tigers. Interviews with current and former Auburn coaches, Auburn athletic staffers, Bowden family members, two members of the Auburn Board of Trustees and high-ranking Auburn alumni - many of whom agreed to talk only on condition of anonymity - allege the following scenario:

Current interim Coach Bill ``Brother'' Oliver worked in lockstep with former Auburn coach Pat Dye to undermine Bowden for weeks prior to his resignation, and Oliver lobbied omni-powerful Auburn booster and trustee Robert Lowder to push Bowden overboard at season's end. The process was expedited when Bowden chose to quit Oct. 23 - the day before Auburn's game against Louisiana Tech - rather than serve out what he knew had become a lame-duck season. Now Dye and Oliver purportedly are working furiously on an end run of Athletic Director David Housel's coach search committee in an effort to have Oliver's ``interim'' title removed - perhaps even before this week's game against Georgia or next week's showdown with hated rival Alabama.

Longtime Dixie coaches are comparing the events to Charley Pell's alleged 1977 back-room coup at Clemson, snatching the head-coaching job from his boss, Red Parker. ``But this is as bad as it ever gets,'' said an Auburn assistant coach.

Lowder, head of Montgomery-based Colonial National Bank, repeatedly has denied micro-managing Auburn athletics, though few are buying his disclaimers. Not even Auburn students. The campus Auburn Plainsman last week ran an editorial lambasting Lowder for his incessant athletic meddling. ``Robert Lowder, go away!'' began the lengthy piece that characterized the rich and politically powerful banker as a ``bully.'' Auburn boosters are said to be forming opposite camps, one backing Oliver and the other angry over Bowden's lynching and Lowder's manipulations.

Dye did not return messages left Tuesday at his office and home seeking comment on the matter. Oliver declined to address any specifics, saying only: ``My Dad just passed away, and thank goodness he's not here to see this or listen to all this.''

Housel said he had no knowledge of any roles by Dye or Oliver in any conspiracy to unseat Bowden but sidestepped the matter of an impending anointment of Oliver. ``I would not want to get into a timetable at this point. We're primarily concerned with getting the right coach,'' said Housel, who had previously indicated a coach would not be selected until after the season.

Housel, Auburn's former sports information director, is widely regarded as an honorable and devoted soul simply trapped in the midst of Auburn politics. He has formed a screening committee that reportedly lists Oliver, Ole Miss Coach Tommy Tuberville, Temple's Bobby Wallace, Florida defensive coordinator Bob Stoops and former Auburn Heisman winner Pat Sullivan as those under consideration.

Lowder can claim he is totally removed from the process, but it was his attorney, Jack Miller, who called Terry's attorney, Ricky Davis, to darkly warn last week that if Bowden was the source of a story that day in the Dothan Eagle, he could forget about getting an exit settlement. The story barely scratched the surface of the back-room conspiracy, quoting a ``well-placed source'' as saying Lowder had choreographed a decision to fire Bowden at the end of this season. Apparently, the Eagle was getting too close for comfort, thus the call threatening to abort Bowden's $620,000 buyout that is being hammered out. One of the conditions is a gag clause on Bowden, thus his reluctance to discuss the situation this past weekend.

``I can't say a thing,'' Terry said. ``Those people scare me. I'm trying to put all this behind me and get enough money for my family to make it through until I can land another job.'' (Family sources said Terry will be interviewed by ABC-TV next week in New York for a post as a college football commentator.)

Others, however, were willing to angrily speak on Bowden's behalf, among them fired offensive coordinator Rodney Allison. One week after Bowden resigned, Oliver flexed muscles normally reserved for a full-time head coach by firing Allison for showing his loyalty to Bowden. Housel moved quickly to assure Allison he would be paid through the end of his current contract in June.